Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Annotated Photo-Op

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, meets with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, March 4, 2008. talks focused on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

And this morning, the Washington Post includes an editorial all about Condi's little Egyptian stopover:

[...] three years after Mr. Bush promised the world's democratic reformers that the United States would stand with them, the administration has so reversed itself that it joins Mr. Mubarak in rejecting restrictions attached by Congress to aid money.

Ms. Rice said the administration used a waiver built into the legislation so the Egyptian military will get the full $1.3 billion allocated by the administration this year. "We believe that this relationship with Egypt is an important one and that the waiver was the right thing to do," she said. Lamely, she said she had talked about the need for reform with the foreign minister during their private meeting.

"So, she has exercised the right of waiver," declared Mr. Aboul Gheit triumphantly. His was the vindication of a diplomat who has just watched the U.S. secretary of state publicly repudiate the policy she once championed, in order to appease an autocrat. "I think I said that, yes," responded Ms. Rice. Let's hope she felt at least a little shame.

Would someone please comment on what the hell Condi has under that tan top/beige skirt/yellow shoes outfit. Is it a protective vest? Why is she wearing it inside the State Department? See the link to these photos.

I'm sure she feels no shame, just as the rest of the Bushco adminstration feels no shame. I sometimes think, in fact, that they derive a sick pleasure from lying, getting caught in lies, and then lying about their lies.

That last paragraph is a doozy. By putting the "appease an autocrat" sentence right before the "I think I said that, yes" reply, it makes her look like someone asked her directly, "Madame Secretary, is it true you're a no-good skanky ho and your word doesn't mean shit?" and she answered "I think I said that, yes."